A gallery of examples of classical music from Utah’s past.
The music in this section is largely from old sheet music by various early Utah composers spanning from the 1860s up to about the 1930s, plus a few other works which are more recent. Selections are listed here in roughly chronological order from earliest to latest dates of composition. Click on any of the titles/links to hear that music as part of short informational videos made for most of the works shared here.
There are two sections, based on the instruments used. First is a section for solo piano, because that type was quite popular a century ago, and because that is a format that lends itself to d.i.y. recording. A second, shorter list has duets and larger works, chamber music, and even a few compositions for bands or orchestras. For songs or other works with vocal parts, I have usually elected to have the vocal lines be played as instrumental parts, simply to make them available for listening. Of course, any of these would be more impressive in live recordings, but until that happens, at least we have these as general reference recordings.
Two piano solos by Orson Pratt, Jr. which were printed in an 1869 magazine on Utah Arts & Culture. Pratt was active as a musician in local concerts & theatres, and as a composer & teacher. Probably some of the earliest classical sheet music (other than hymn books) published in Utah. Here is a set of links to more about this composer. Histories of Orson Pratt Jr. and Susan Lizette Snow
~ The Grasshopper – a fun little piece with lots of motion, and probably aimed at young players. But one commenter around the time of publication suggested that it was connected with the “Miracle of the Seagulls” incident in Pioneer era history.
~ Gertrude Mazurka – an elegant “parlor music” or concert selection, from an era when many homes had a piano for entertainment.
Deseret Schottische, by Geraldine Warden – Composed by a touring Australian opera singer who visited Salt Lake City for a short series of concerts in 1868, and wanted to leave this musical gift for the many nice people she met in Utah. She was considered a “star” as a singer, but was also a versatile and talented pianist who sometimes accompanied her fellow singers as they performed. A synthesized piano track is used in this recording on YouTube.
Two piano solos by Joseph J. Daynes. Daynes was a celebrated musician of the day, with roles as organist at the Mormon Tabernacle, as a composer of many hymns that still have places in Mormon sacred music, and as a thriving music store merchant, who had multiple shops in the territory, including a large one near the ZCMI store in downtown Salt Lake City. Sorry for the clunky sound quality in this version rendered by synthesized piano. If you want to re-record it with more personality and phrasing, let me know and I’ll be happy to share the sheet music.
~ ZCMI March estimated to be from the 1870s or 1880s. A rather routine march, titled after Utah’s first chain of major department stores, the Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution.
~ Brigham Young Funeral March A somber selection from the 1870s, actually composed for and played during the funeral procession – not just a later “tribute” selection. Originally for organ but adapted for piano in the 1800s. (Recording coming soon, depending on clearing permissions…)
Three Piano solos by John M. Chamberlain who was active from from the 1870s to the 1920s. Born in England but relocated to Salt Lake City as his family were Mormon converts in the 1860s. He also had a music publishing company to make it easier for him to distribute his many songs and piano selections.
~ Peerless Waltz from 1880 has lots of repeats, in the style of the famous J. Strauss waltzes, but it adds a touch of variety by playing phrases an octave higher when repeated. (Recording with video is in the works – will be posted soon.)
~ Pearls of Melody – a piano reverie. Packed with scales and runs. Not sure if I’ll ever get to this one for recording. Anybody else want to tackle a real “showpiece”?
~ Thelma – March From 1924 when he was a respected veteran composer, performer, teacher and music publisher. That’s 44 years after his Peerless Waltz listed above. This short piece for young players was composed late in his life, in his 70s, for his young student who was being cared for in a convalescent hospital in Salt Lake City. The score was then shared in an LDS (Mormon) magazine for youth to encourage musical development in others.
My Sweet Heart’s Waltz by Henry A. Tuckett from 1893. Well, this will be an easy entry to write up. Tuckett was, by trade, a candy maker – the biggest in Utah in the late 1800s. But music was always important in his life, and in his later years he even taught vocal/choral studies at the Deseret College, which later became the University of Utah. This sweet little waltz was published in an LDS Church (Mormon) magazine for youth.
For Edna by Charles Frederick Stayner – One example from a set of a dozen short piano solos from 1899, each named/titled for a different young lady of his acquaintance. Of related interest, Stayner also composed several ambitious piano solos such as “Barcarolle: The Great Salt Lake” and another “Barcarolle Pacifico” which is quite a showpiece. Those will each take time and/or money to capture and eventually be shared here.
On the Beautiful Salt Lake Waltzes, by Anton Pedersen from approx. 1885. Another piano solo celebrating recreation at the resorts on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. You can hear a live audio-only recording by clicking this link. Pederson was also one of the key figures in organizing a local orchestra which evolved, decades later, into the Utah Symphony. Note that the original sheet music for this one was published by Joseph Daynes, another composer on this list. Sheet music for this was located online in the Library of Congress collections. At nearly 7 minutes playing time it is currently the longest selection on this page.
Laughing Waves – Ragtime adjacent (?) piano solo from 1904 by Herbert W. Lawrence. He was a music student during his college days in Utah, but later concentrated on a career in mining.
Wandamere Two-Step 1906 by William C. Clive. Showcasing the fun to be had at a small resort just a few miles south-east of downtown Salt Lake City, making it a bit more convenient than a trip out to Saltair for many. It drew thousands of revellers each day during warm weather to enjoy concerts, rides, a lake for fun on boats, bicycle races on a steep-banked oval track, etc. The park specialized in various themed days for groups, such as “German Day”, where thousands of people who identified with a group might attend. This music was transcribed from the hand-written original score by the composer, found in the archives of a local university. The score uses the title “Wandamere March or Two-Step by Piano”, but newspaper mentions of this music from the time it was first played uniformly refer to it as “Wandamere Two-Step.” There are indications in the score that the piece was sometimes played as a solo, and sometimes as part of a band, with instructions for performing it each way. (Transcription and recording is in progress, but the hand written notation is a tough read in spots, so it will probably be available in early 2026.)
Saltair March by Godfrey Buglione, 1910 – There is a solo piano version available for this piece, but it is not yet recorded. For background notes, please see the listing lower on this page for the “band” version.
Two piano solos in quite contrasting styles by Gustav Schuster (a.k.a. Edw. Herman):
~ Wizard of the Wasatch March by Gustav Schuster – Composed around 1913 for a short-lived festival in Salt Lake City that included Mardi Gras style parades and many other features, but with local and pseudo Native American themes. The festivities were designed both for fun and funds, with the stated goals of stimulating local tourism & shopping — until the onset of WWI put a damper on this and many other non-essential events. But while it lasted, the festival was heavily promoted, and the sheet music for this frisky “circus band” style march was even printed in local newspapers. He also composed a march titled “Bronco Buster” which was the theme song for a big annual rodeo event in Denver. (Coming someday?) Here is a recording from my YouTube channel.
~ Meditation “Oh, My Father” an instrumental (piano only) selection published around 1914, but based on a well-known Mormon (now LDS) hymn tune from the late 1800s. However, it is not that simple. This music has a multi-faceted origin, starting as a tune in the British Isles in the mid 1800s, (sources differ as to whether it was Welsh or Scottish), then the melody was adopted by James McGranahan into a hymn tune titled “My Redeemer” with different lyrics. It migrated into the world of Utah/LDS music when it was reworked yet again in the late 1800s with lyrics from prolific poet Eliza R. Snow, whose poem is notable for raising the question that since God is a Father in Heaven, doesn’t that also mean that there is a Mother in Heaven? This page often presents piano solos rendered by synthesized keyboards, but for this selection it is a pleasure to link to a video on YouTube by the talented player and teacher Stefanie Struhs Kiester of the Denver, CO. area, who had already posted her solo piano recording of this piece a few years ago. Link shared here with her permission. (In addition to performing, she is a sometimes composer, and is available as a piano teacher.) Note on the composer’s name — Gustav Schuster composed these variations, but for some of his published sheet music, including this one published by his own company, he opted to use the pseudonym Edw. (Edward or Edwin?) Herman. Sheet music for this one shows up occasionally on EBay, but is also online on at least two sites — one at BYU, and another in a century old LDS Church magazine archived at Google Books.
The Bugle Call from a 1917 song with music by Robert Sauer. There was so much topical music generated during the WWI and WWII era in all styles. This Patriotic Pop song was a call to arms, asking young men to be ready to join the War effort – interesting because of the composer’s roots in Germany, while the thrust of this song is for Americans to fight them. Robert Sauer was born and raised in Germany and got a fine music institute training there. He moved to Utah in his 20’s as a Mormon convert, hiring on as director of the Band program at BYU in Provo, where he stayed for decades. His most well-known piece as composer was the famous pop/showtune, “When It’s Springtime in the Rockies,” which was recorded countless times. This selection uses a trumpet solo in place of the vocal line, due to the title. It should be easy to spot the use of other melodies, such as the actual military bugle call “Reveille” (get up!) and the warhorse, “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” (This video is nearly completed — will post it soon.)
Along the Navajo Trail by Seldon Heaps – This entry sees a style change to a much more modern sound. Impressionistic piano solo from around 1937 by a versatile composer who worked in classical, popular and religious music. There was likely an orchestral version as well, since the composer used the same title for one movement of his “Bryce Canyon Suite” for orchestra. (This piece also shares a name with an unrelated classic “Western Swing” song, but this local one is in a very different style.)
... plus a few “Utah related” pieces by non-local composers …
Utah March by Emanuel Marquis, 1850s. A short, basic march piece. The title screams “Utah”, but beyond that there is nothing particularly connecting either the composer or the music to the region. From a time when composers churned out volumes of sheet music for a hungry public, this is what it is – a simple, but unremarkable addition.
The Mormon War – A Grand March by Peter Ricksecker from 1858. The title is striking, but maybe not as dramatic as it teases. There was a series of troublesome conflicts around 1858 which became widely known as the “Mormon War.” Actually, it was more of a diplomatic power struggle, as the leaders in Washington DC did not like that the Mormon (now LDS) leaders in the Utah Territory were running it in ways that the Feds did not approve of. Troops were sent as a show of force, but cooler heads prevailed, and little happened other than posturing and taunting, which continued until Utah was finally granted statehood in the 1890s. But the name “Mormon War” was catchy, so composer Peter Ricksecker of the musically minded Moravian Church movement in Pennsylvania wrote this piece to capitalize on the news of the day. While it is clearly tied to Utah by subject and title, the composer himself probably had no serious connection to Utah. While not by a Utah Composer per se, it is welcome here as a relative. Shots fired, but War settled.
Brigham Young – Grand March – from 1873 by Edward Mack. Again, not a Utah composer, but shared here because of the subject. Tuneful rather than “Grand”, but still a pleasant if repetitive march. The composer is lesser known now, but was quite prolific in his day, publishing more than 100 pieces as sheet music in the late 1800s despite having lost his eyesight as a Young adult. (Get it? Young? … oh, nevermind …)
… there are more music selections after the photos …
Music for ensembles ~
Morning Hymn by George Careless, the first conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This one was used by the Choir, and appeared in one of their songbooks for choir members in the 1880s. But the simple melody also works as adapted here for a string trio of 1 violin, 1 viola and 1 cello. (Synthesized.)
The Trumpeters, Joseph J. Daynes – The original version from the 1880s was for men’s voices and keyboard, but due to the title and style of music, and the lack of a Men’s Chorus at my disposal, I decided to adjust this arrangement to be played by a synthesized brass ensemble and organ/piano. Daynes was a central figure in the Utah music community of the day, both as a composer and as a merchant with several popular music stores.
Saltair March, Godfrey Buglione – This 1910 piece was composed by the bandmaster of a regimental band stationed at Fort Douglas near the University of Utah in SLC. The title of the piece refers to a once popular beach resort on the shores of the Great Salt Lake which featured frequent concerts by local bands, including Buglione’s own military band. Hear it in a recording by a modern military band on YouTube. (This recording is not a project of mine, but is part of a very ambitious series of band music recordings.) Utah composer and film maker Marden Pond also used a band version of this piece in his documentary film “Great Salt Lake – Utah’s Sanctuary.” There is also a reduction to a solo piano version, with a recording coming here someday…
Saltair March, Wasatch March, Fort Douglas March, and Deseret News March are all selections by Godfrey Buglione, but they are not yet recorded for this gallery. Each has a specific local inspiration. The Deseret News was (and still is) a major newspaper in the state, so using that title was sure to get a mention published. The Wasatch Mountain range which towers over the east side of the Salt Lake Valley is the obvious inspiration for another, although that title might also refer to a company or organization which shared that name. (Composers of marches in that time period, including Sousa, often wrote original music titled after companies or organizations that commissioned a new piece, or after newsworthy events that inspired the music.) The third march is titled after the US Military’s Fort Douglas where Buglione was the official bandmaster for a decade and routinely gave public band concerts at the Fort and around the Salt Lake City area. The geography of these three compositions with local place names all lines up. Fort Douglas is on the east side of Salt Lake City, at the foot of the Wasatch mountains, overlooking the city, and from the Fort one can even see Saltair beach resort a dozen miles away, so all three titles/references are linked by geography. Sheet music has been located for the Wasatch March, but it is a rather tedious job to convert all the various instrumental parts in a band piece to computer notation for recording. Still looking for an archive with the Fort Douglas March and/or the Deseret News March available.
Lullaby Land & Irish Love Song – Originally offered as songs for young women’s voices in an LDS (Mormon) Church magazine of the early 1900s, but they also sound rather nice as adapted to be played as instrumentals for violin & piano or flute & piano. Lyrics were by a Utah poet, Kate Kendall Thomas, daughter of a prominent SLC family, who was living a Bohemian lifestyle in NYC. Her collaborator in this composing partnership was Laura Sedgwick Collins of New York, who may have been the only female composer in the pool of American students taught by Dvorak during his time in the USA. There is also a 3rd song available by these collaborators, but it is rather longer and more complex than these two, so it will take quite a while to get around to posting that one, if ever. Both “Lullaby Land” and “Irish Love Song” are now being shared in imperfect recordings due to issues with the notation having some glitches.
Liahona – Two instrumental selections from the 1936 cantata composed by William King Driggs, a strong composer and musician, but probably better known as father of the “King Sisters” singing group. This is just a piano reduction taken from the vocal score version, while the original work was for orchestra, chorus, vocal soloists, etc. The two selections in this video are the Introduction/Prelude, and one of several “Barcarolle” sections which depicted travels to the new world, as related in the LDS scripture the Book of Mormon. Hear these two selections of “Liahona” in a 6.5 minute video.
Handcarts West! – Snippets from a 1958 musical theatre production written to be performed by teens. This sheet music was included in the printed script that performers worked from. ( I know, I know … FROM WHICH performers worked…) The “Book” (story/script) was by Ruth Hale, a major figure in LDS/Mormon community theatre circles, and a co-founder of the popular Hale Center Theater. Music was composed and/or arranged by Samuel O. Pratt, who was probably related to the family central to the Lyon & Healy Harp Company. My personal opinion is that some of the piano music here requires abilities beyond that of an average teen performer, which may have limited the reach of this production. Hear a few excerpts at my YouTube page.
Pan’s Dance from the film score for “The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao” by Leigh Harline, 1964. Here is an interesting musical side trip. This short scene from a film score is a nice little classical-inspired piece in Tarantella style featuring flute. (Music starts at about one minute into this clip.) The composer, Leigh Harline, got training in Utah, assisting with Gustave Schuster’s studio and later at the University of Utah. His talent was obvious, and he found quick success in Hollywood, including composing famous music for major Disney films among other scores. This selection is from an eccentric western/fantasy film about a magical travelling circus in the American Southwest, in which Tony Randall played multiple roles. I played no role in making this clip – just linking it here from an authorized source as a quirky addition to the list.
Palmyra 1820 by composer James Prigmore, who had a rich history in (Utah) and national professional music circles, from orchestral to vocal to theatre, dance, film and TV score music and beyond. “Palmyra 1820“, based on LDS Church history, was a major work for chorus and orchestra, and was given a premier in the Mormon Tabernacle in the 1960s. A limited number of vinyl/LP records were made of the concert, and I was happy to share one with the composer, who did not have a copy for himself, about a year before he passed away.
…. to be continued …
What is next for this site? Around a dozen new videos or music mentions were added in late 2025, bringing the total of works on this page to over 30 selections. Another dozen may appear in 2026 as they are in various stages of preparation. Other possible upgrades might be to:
1) Add a “Wikipedia” link or comparable link to share deeper info/trivia about some of these composers.
2) List the sources of some of the sheet music used here.
3) Will also be considering other ways to structure the list, as it is getting long enough to make it hard to navigate for a quick look at the material. Maybe a change to listing all items strictly in chronological order without regard to instrumentation? Perhaps split the list into four (4) pages for piano, chamber music, large ensembles, vocal and choral, to allow for people to browse it more quickly without needing to look at dozens of entries.
4) Scheme to find a way to get real vocal performances recorded for some of the many topical songs of a century ago, including a bunch of comic songs referencing polygamy. There are new advancements in automated singing software, but I have not tried those systems yet.
At the risk of being obvious, most of the videos on this list are housed on my personal YouTube page, along with other unrelated content I’ve posted there. The “Utah Classical Music Gallery” does have a ” play list ” there to keep things organized. See my channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@douglaswood6813/videos
